Fact Sheet 15: Pakistan Floods

Media reports that hundreds of children are suffering from diseases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to malnutrition and poverty as price-hike and the recent devastating floods have caused food crises in the province.

The impact of the flood has been two-fold in Swat Valley: On the one hand, it has destroyed infrastructure, disrupting the social fabric, and on the other it washed away valuable farmland and standing crops, rendering the already poor people without any means to survive, making their lives more miserable.

Hightlights of the week are:

1. A joint assessment by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank estimated the losses suffered by the floods at $9.7 billion, almost five times less than what has been clamed by the government

Republic of Turkey would provide $150 million to the government for rehabilitation and reconstruction of flood affected areas in the country.

600 tons of goods have been sent by UAE Red Crescent Authority for people affected by the floods in Pakistan.

Britain has extended its support to ensure food aid reaches more than 115,000 flood stricken families.

The Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Friday deferred decision on the proposal for increase in wheat support price, and approved one-time incentive package for flood affected areas farmers.

18 local NGOs are partnering with the United Nations Development Programme to launch a cash-for-work programme in the flood-hit districts of Charsadda and Nowshera in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

345,000 Watan Cards have been distributed so far in 11 flood affected districts. Rs. 1.7 billion ($0.02 billion) is being released for flood victims that will be distributed through Watan Cards only in DI Khan.

Nearly 300,000 suspected malaria cases have been recorded in flood-affected areas of Pakistan since the end of July, with malaria endemic is on steady rise in rural areas of Pakistan

Pakistan needs funds for at-least one year of reconstruction after its devastating floods, but in turn it must assure donors it will revamp tax and subsidy regimes, a senior World Bank official said.

According to United Nations at least 7 million people are still without shelter in Pakistan. 20 percent of the money that has been pledged in aid has so far been to Pakistan for the construction of houses damaged or destroyed by the floods. A total of 346 million dollars is needed, according to the United Nations for the emergency shelter.

According to Pakistan Horticulture Development & Export Company (PHEDC), export of mangoes, the second biggest fruit crop of Pakistan was badly hit by floods.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was told on Monday hundreds of schools were destroyed during militancy and floods across the province, causing a loss of Rs 10.5 billion ($0.12 billion).

50,000 quilts will be sent to the flood stricken areas for victims form Faisalabad, with the support of Provincial Disaster Management Authority.

The Sindh government is likely to double sugar and cotton cess, stamp duty and weapon license’s fee by amending Sindh Finance Act to generate additional revenue for rehabilitation of flood affected people and reconstruction of infrastructure in affected areas.